Roland's Proposal: A WWTS Flashforward
by Queen-of-the-Merry-Men
Summary: After Robin and Regina gets engaged Roland starts to wonder about the future of his family and what it means to have a mother, leading him to ask Regina a very important question. A hood-mills family fic, with hints of SnowQueen.
1. Chapter 1

**_This is a WWTS flashforward I wrote for Mother's Day. It's set a year or so into the future and I hope it'll calm some nerves._**

* * *

It is a truth universally accepted among all parents that small children often do strange things. Things that hold to no reason or rhyme that a mature, fully-adult brain could ever hope to understand. Robin had long since accepted this with Roland. Over the years had son had gone through countless phases of inexplicable behavior – jumping off furniture, pretending to be different animals at odd times, there'd even been a whole month where he refused to eat anything yellow – but each phase was just that, a phase. And Robin had always been able to approach them with a sense of humor but this time he didn't find things so easy to shrug off.

For the past year or so Roland had begun to pray. Every few days or so before bed Robin would come to tuck him in a night and find his son on his knees, his hands folded atop of his bed, whispering his hopes to someone above. While Robin himself wasn't particularly religious – and he certainly hadn't taught his son to be – it wasn't so much the praying that worried him as much as who he prayed to.

For the fourth night that week Robin had looked in on his son only to hear him praying to his mother, Marian. He couldn't help it. Every time he heard his son whisper " _Dear Mama"_ he felt his heart clench. yet he never spoke to Roland about it. He wasn't even sure what he'd say.

Instead he tucked his son into bed, put him to sleep and went to his own room. He walks in to find Regina already in bed reading glasses on, book in hand, comfortably tucked into the blankets. It'd been weeks since she and Henry moved back in but his heart still leapt every time he remember that he can fall asleep as well as wake up next to her every day. As soon as he walks in she takes one look at his face and sympathetically sighs.

"Was he praying again?" she asked.

Robin nodded his head. "He wants her to help keep the baby ducks at the park safe."

She couldn't help the small smile that appeared on her face. They'd been feeding baby ducks at the park earlier that morning. He'd been so protective of the little ducklings and their mama. "That's sweet."

"Maybe… until the ducks get run over," mumbled Robin as he climbed into bed next to her.

Regina sighed as she set down her book and slipped off her reading glasses. She turned to Robin with serious eyes. "Why does this bother you so much Robin?" she asked. "Why do his prayers make you so...uneasy?"

Robin sunk down into the sheets with a groan but offered no tangible response so she pressed on.

"Is it about the god thing?"

"No," he immediately refutes. He is not concerned about Roland believing in God. Robin had been an atheist for decades now but he'd never once tried to sway Roland in any direction regarding his faith. He figured his son would come to his own conclusions when it came to his faith. He just didn't expect for him to come to one so soon. Or to latch on to something so complex.

"It's just that he started doing this when we were all in such a bad place," he softly points out.

His tone goes heavy and he can see Regina biting her lip as they both think back to that hard time so many months ago, when Cora had been meddling in their lives. She'd put them through so much, but they'd come out stronger in the end. At least that's what he thought.

"Roland was so upset during all of it and I was alright with him praying that one night because I thought it would help give him hope and maybe take away some of his stress," he explained, "but now… I don't know. It's making me worry that maybe he's not feeling secure anymore. Like he's not over everything that happened."

He still remembers how stunned he was the first night when his son had asked if he would pray with him. And how that shock had doubled when he'd started praying to his own mother. He'd prayed for his mother to help make things happy again. Things went back to normal and he'd hoped it would be a one-time thing but Roland had never stopped. He still prayed to Marian and a part of him feared it was because he no longer trusted his father to hold things together anymore.

Regina grabs his hand and lets out a deep breath. She understood Robin's fears. She carried similar ones about Henry and how that time had affected him. It'd been months since everything with Cora but she still worried about how those days had affected their boys. If there were truly as healed as they appeared to be.

"I get why you're worried," she said, comfortingly running her hand up his arm. "But I don't think that's the reason he prays to her."

"Why then?" asked Robin, desperately.

"Honestly?" She nervously presses her lips together before answering him. "I think he's just trying to know her, in his own way."

She softly squeezes his hand, trying to comfort him before broaching a topic that she knew still saddened them both.

"Robin, he was only three months old when Marian died," she gently pointed out. "He can't remember her voice, or her touch. He has no memories. And I think… with all the changes this past year, it's starting to bother him a little."

Her gaze drops down to her left hand where her engagement ring sits on her ring finger, sparkling with every slight movement.

"I love Roland with all my heart," she says, "but maybe realizing that I'm going to be his stepmother… makes him want to know his real mother instead."

"Hey," drawled Robin, straightening up in bed. "You're not just a stepmother, you know that."

"I do," she agrees, "but I'm still not Marian, I'm not his mama, I can't replace her and he knows it. I practically told him as much."

"What?" said Robin, narrowing his eyes at her.

She lets out a deep breath and runs her fingers through her hair before sitting up next to him. "Okay… I've never told you this but do you remember that night when I was moving out and the storm hit?"

Robin nods his head. Of course, he remembered that night. It was the night he'd decided to tell her how he felt. The night he'd realized how much he'd wanted their family. He'd never forget that night.

"Well, after we all went to sleep Roland woke up afraid because of the storm and he climbed into my sleeping bag with me ," she continued. "And as I comforted him we talked about Marian and how you'd explained that she was in heaven and he asked if she would ever come back for him."

She still remembered the look in his brown eyes when he'd asked her. So wide and confused, searching for answers. They'd sent her heart racing.

Robin eyes widened at her confession and he stutters in surprise. "Well… what did you say?"

"I told him that… once you go to heaven you can't come back." She pauses. "I didn't want to leave him with false hope."

"I know," said Robin, his tone gentle. "I wouldn't have done any differently."

Regina nods, swallowing hard before continuing.

"But then he asked me if since his Mama wasn't here anymore did that mean that I was his mama now," she said, tears welling up in her eyes. "And I said… no."

"Oh my god," breathes Robin. Shock ran over his blue eyes. He couldn't believe she'd kept this to herself for so long.

"I said that no matter what his mama was his mama, no one else," she said. "I said that a piece of her still lives in him and because of that she'd always be with him."

"Regina…"

She continues to speak over him.

"It was before we were together," she explains. "I was still struggling with my feelings for you and when he asked… I felt like a thief[14] , like I was stealing both of you from her and I just… my heart cracked. I never thought..."

The words dripped from her mouth as she confessed her feelings to him. Ever since she'd heard about Roland's prayers she hadn't been able to get that moment out of her head. She wondered if the reason he prayed to Marian was because of that night. Perhaps he was reaching out to the mother he lost because he thought it was his only way to have a maternal relationship.

"Oh, Regina," whispered Robin, bringing a hand to her cheek. "You said… exactly the right thing to him."

"Really?" she asks, her eyes still shining with tears.

"Yes," he assures her nodding his head. He pulls her closer into his side. "I love you. And I love our family. It's more than I could've dreamed of and I can't wait to make it official to the world. But as beautiful as our family is I don't think we can erase the fact that in order to get here we've had to lose people that we loved and so did our boys."

 _Daniel and Marian._

Their names run through her head and sadness trickles into her heart. As happy as she was with Robin she'd never want to erase either of them from her past.

"You didn't want Roland to forget Marian any more than I want Henry to forget Daniel," he said. "The fact that you want to honor that makes me love you all the more for it."

Relief runs through her at his words and she sinks into his side. "Thank you," she mumbles. "And despite my tears on the matter I think Roland's prayers are a good thing."

"You do?"

She nods, wrapping her arms around his waist. "Robin, I used to think that he'd never have a relationship with her because she was gone but maybe this is his way of having one. A way for him to keep her close and form a bond. Something of her that's all his and no one else's."

It was nice thought but it wasn't enough to quell his concerns.

"But what if…"

"What if what?"

"What if something doesn't work out?" he says. "What if those baby ducks actually do get run over? Or something else he prays for doesn't work out for him? What if… what if he stops believing in her?"

"He won't," she says, her voice solid with certainty. "We won't let him. And neither would she."

She looks up at him. "Robin for most of my life I never had faith in anything. No one ever taught me how to. But I do have faith in Marian. I believe that she is watching over him. I know it in my soul. Don't you?"

Robin sighs. Honestly speaking he'd never considered himself a man of faith. At a young age he'd discovered that his own prayers tended to go unheeded and if you asked him what he believed in he couldn't give you a straight answer but still he hadn't forgotten that stormy night. The dream he'd had and how she'd come to him, letting him know that it was time to let go. It hadn't been his mind or his imagination. He knew it. He couldn't explain it but he knew it. It'd been Marian. That much he was sure of.

"I do," he answers.

"Then how could you ever think that she'd let him down," says Regina.

Robin remains silent.

"If it turns out to be a problem, then we'll worry," she promises. "But for right now, I think it's best we let him have this."

"Okay," agrees Robin with a nod of his head. "For now."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Alone in his room Roland couldn't sleep. He tossed and turned in bed with too much on his mind. Finally when he could stand it anymore he ripped off his covers and kneeled on the floor in his SpongeBob pajamas, folding his hands over his mattress for the second time that night.

"Dear Mama," he whispered into his hands, "I can't sleep because I need to talk to you."

He pauses before continuing. "I want to talk because I kept a secret and I'm afraid you won't like it."

He takes a deep breath, trying to gather his courage. "My secret is… that sometimes I really wish that Regina could be my mama. I know she told me that you're still my mama even when you're in heaven but… sometimes I want a mama that's down here."

He pauses for a moment, afraid that he's hurt his mama's feelings.

"Regina said that you're the only mama that I can have but I have a friend at school. His name is Andrew and he has two mamas. He says that he calls one of them Mama and the one them Mom. So… would it be alright if I kept you as my mama but asked Regina to be my mom? If I asked her... would you be mad at me?"

He waits, listening to the silence in his room for some sign of her but there's nothing. So he tries again.

"If I asked her… would you be happy?"

He goes silent, listening for her but he doesn't hear anything. Instead he feels something spread through his heart. Warm and happy, it almost feels like a hug. He smiles into the darkness, knowing that it's her.

"Thank you, Mama," he whispers.

* * *

 ** _NEXT CHAPTER: Roland proposes to Regina._ **


	2. Chapter 2

At the age of six Roland Locksely was many things, most of them good. Friendly, adorable, kind, protective. All these words could apply to him. However, the one that fit best would be impatient.

As a curious and enthusiastic child, waiting was not in Roland's vocabulary. Whether it be food, playtime or answers, if he wanted something it was a safe bet that he wanted it now. Something his future stepbrother, Henry Mills, learned late one night when he woke up to find Roland tapping him on the nose and urgently whispering his name.

"Henry! Henry! Henry!"

Henry scrunched up his face as he groaned with his eyes still shut.

"What Roland?" he whispered in a raspy voice. He reluctantly opened his eyes and squinted against the darkness, irritated once he realized it was not even close to morning yet. "What do you want?"

Roland stood by his bed still dressed in his pajamas. It was dark and though he could really only see his silhouette but Henry already knew that he was staring at him with his wide brown eyes.

"Henry, can I ask your mom to be my mom too?"

The sleep vanished from his body. He rapidly blinked his eyes as they adjusted to the darkness. Leaning up on his elbows he could see Roland's features start to take shape. The younger boy is anxiously biting his lip as he continues to stare at him through the darkness.

"What do you mean Roland?" asks Henry.

"Well, you know how my friend Andrew has two mamas but he only calls one of them mama and the other mom? I asked my mama and she said it was alright if I kept her as my mama and made Regina my mom," he explained.

Henry knew that his Aunt Marian had died when Roland was a baby. He also knew that he'd started praying to her for some reason. He thought it was really weird but when he'd told his mom that she'd said that he should never tell Roland that he felt way. That even if he didn't understand it Roland's beliefs were very important to him and he shouldn't be told that they were wrong. So he played along.

Henry shrugged his shoulders. "Okay, if she said it was okay, then why are you asking me?"

Roland nervously shifted his weight from foot to foot, hesitating before speaking again.

"Because she was your mom first," he softly answered. "Daddy says if you want someone to share something you have to ask first."

"Oh," said Henry. He pauses for a moment before shrugging his shoulders. "Well, she already does mom things for you. And all the other brothers and sisters at school share a mom. I guess, we can too."

Roland's eyes light up. "Really?"

"Sure," says Henry. "I don't mind."

He liked Roland and he wanted him to be happy. Besides, he knew there was more than enough love to go around.

Roland grinned from ear to ear but it faded when he tilted his head and asked, "But how am I supposed to ask her?"

He'd never asked a woman to be his mom before. It sounded complicated, very different than asking for a cookie or a toy.

Henry silently thought it over before replying, "Hey why don't you propose to her? That's what your dad did and it worked."

"Oh yeah," drawled Roland. He remembered his Daddy talking to him about it before it happened. He'd said that a proposal was a special way to ask someone to join your family. But his Daddy had been very nervous before he did it.

"It sounds kind of scary," he mumbled.

"Don't worry Roland. I'll help you," said Henry.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The next day they set to work planning Roland's proposal. Snow was babysitting them at her condo while their parents were worked on some wedding stuff. Henry thought it best that the proposal was a surprise so it made perfect sense to plan it while they were gone.

For most of the morning they'd had their eyes glued to the iPad as Henry clicked on nearly every YouTube with proposal in the title. Roland sat by his side at the living room coffee table trying to make a ring out of the pipe cleaners and beads that Snow left out for them.

Looking over his shoulder, Roland grinned at the video onscreen. "That looks fun!" he said.

Henry nodded his head in agreement. He'd landed on a Disneyland proposal complete with a dancing flash mob. It looked like everyone was having a good time and the lady did say yes but it still didn't seem like something his mom would like.

"It does look fun," he mumbled. "But mom doesn't like big crowds. Besides, I don't think we can afford to go to Disneyland and we don't know that many dancers."

Roland pouted in response.

"Don't worry Roland," said Henry, patting him on the shoulder. "We can still do something special."

Just then Snow came from out of the kitchen with their morning snacks. Handing them both a small mixed fruit cup, she kneeled next to them at the coffee table and picked up one of Roland's discarded pipe cleaner rings.

"This looks pretty," she said, appropriately enthusiastic. "Is it for me?"

"No it's for Regina," said Roland. "I'm trying to make her one for the proposal."

Snow narrowed her eyes at him, confused. "I thought your daddy already gave her a ring."

"It's not for his proposal," he explained. "It's for mine!"

"Yours?"

"Yeah, Roland's gonna ask my mom if she wants to be his mom too," Henry said proudly, as he ripped the plastic lid off his fruit cup.

Snow eyes softened at their words. She silently stuttered for a few seconds before turning to Roland.

"Is that true?" she whispered.

"Mm-hmm," Roland happily hummed, with a nod of his head. "I asked my mama and she said that it was okay."

"Oh my god," breathed Snow, sending him a watery smile. Her heart leapt in her chest and her stomach started doing somersaults. Roland was going to ask Regina to be his mother.

"Well that is… wonderful. Regina is gonna love it. And I think it would make her really happy to be your mommy."

Roland grinned in response. Taking a deep breath, she looked down at the pipe cleaner rings on the table. They were adorable and obviously full of love but they weren't built to last. For a moment as big as this one Regina deserved something better. She and Roland.

A thought pops into Snow's head.

She holds her hand out to Roland. "Why don't you come with me to my room? I have something I want to show you."

Roland eagerly takes her hand and she leads him upstairs to the closet in her room. Once there she holds up his pipe cleaner ring.

"Roland this is a very beautiful ring," she says. "Any woman would be lucky to have it but you only use a ring in a proposal if you're asking a woman to be your wife."

"Oh," he mumbles, disappointedly. "But what am I supposed to use if I'm asking her to be my mommy?"

"Why a bracelet, of course," Snow replies, sending him a dazzling smile. Opening her closet door, she stands on her tip toes and pulls an old shoe box out of the corner of the top shelf. Her heart clenches a bit when she touches it. She hasn't thought about what lies inside for years now. Clearing her throat she takes off lid and pulls out a small velvet jewelry box, blowing off a small layer of dust as she does.

It's been more than ten years since she's laid on it.

Still smiling she hands it to Roland, "Here you can use this."

He opens it and finds a silver bracelet inside. It's plain, not ostentatious at all but it has a small, engraved label attached to chain that he can't read.

"Wow!" he breathes, his eyes going wide. "It's beautiful!"

She'd gotten it made years ago when she'd thought that Regina would be her stepmother. She'd planned to give it to Regina on the day she married her father. Knowing what she knows now, she's glad she never got that chance. She'd considered throwing it out when Regina had disappeared but something inside had told her to keep it. Seeing Roland's face light up she knows she was right to.

"What does it say?" he asks.

She lets out a soft breath before pointing it out to him. "It says 'Friends by fate, family by choice.''

She still remembers spending days trying to think up the right thing to engrave it with. It was hardly a fitting choice for Regina's engagement to Leopold but somehow it'd ended up being just right for Roland's proposal.

"Oh," he drawls, before smiling up at her. "That sounds pretty."

Snow nods. "I thought so. And I think Regina will too… if you want to use it."

"Yes!" said Roland, fervently nodding his head. It was way more beautiful than any of the pipe cleaner rings he'd made. He gives Snow a hug, squeezing his arms tight around her waist. "Thank you!"

"Of course Roland," she said, hugging him back. "I hope you get the answer you're looking for."

xxxxxxxxxxxx

By the time night fell it had been a long day for Regina. She and Robin had woke up at what felt like the crack of dawn to look at possible venues for the wedding. They'd been driving from place to place all day and they still hadn't been able to make a decision. She tried to remind herself that making choices like this was meant to be the fun part of wedding plan and watching the pieces come together would make it worth it. Still by the time they picked up the boys, she'd been pretty close to exhausted. However, that didn't stop her from worrying when she saw how strange the boys were acting.

They'd been whispering and acting secretive since she'd brought them home from Snow's condo. She mentally made a note to ask them about it the next day, too tired to get into it that night. After a quick shower, she'd hoped to hop into bed and go straight to sleep but Henry had appeared to tell her that Roland wanted her to read him a bedtime story. Of course, Robin had offered to take her place but according to Henry, Roland had been adamant that it should be her.

With a yawn she'd gotten out of bed and headed down the hall to his room. She found him up waiting in bed for her.

"Hello my little knight," she said, with a smile. Taking a seat on the edge of his bed she ran her fingers through his curls. "I heard someone wanted another bedtime story."

Roland pressed his lips together before softly shaking his head. "No, that's not true."

She tilted her head, confused. "What?"

"Henry only said that so you would come in here," said Roland. "I don't need another bedtime story."

"Okay," said Regina straightening up. "Then what do you need?"

Roland went silent. A shy, nervous look appeared in his eyes making Regina feel uneasy. She rubbed his back in comforting circles. "Roland?"

He took a deep breath before speaking again. "Do you remember the night that you said that you couldn't be my mama because I already had one?"

Regina's heart begins to race and she struggles to keep her face neutral as she nods her head. "Yes Roland, I remember."

"Well, I know that Mama is my mama and I still love her," he said. "But sometimes I think it might be nice to have a mama that's not in heaven like everybody else does."

"Oh honey," she drawls, brushing his curls from his face. "It's okay to feel that way."

"And I know you said that you couldn't be my mama… but if I asked you to be my mom wouldn't that be different?" he wonders.

"I… suppose so, yes," she answers, a little breathlessly. Everything's happening so fast, she feels like she can barely keep up.

Roland nods his head and reaches under his pillow, pulling out a small, velvet jewelry box. Her heart nearly stops when she sees it.

"Oh… Roland…"

"Daddy said when he asked you to be his wife he got you a ring," he says holding it out to her. "So I wanted to get you something too."

She chuckles nervously as she takes it from him. Opening it, she's stunned to find a silver bracelet inside, engraved with the words, "friends by fate, family by choice." It's absolutely beautiful. If she wasn't so completely overwhelmed she might've wondered where he got it.

"Regina… would you be my mom?"

He's taken her breath away, utter and completely left her speechless. In all their time together, she's never, not once expected this to happen and until this moment she'd never realized just how much she'd wanted it to. There is nothing in the world that would make her happier than to be this little boy's mommy.

Tears welling up in her eyes, she brings her hand to his cheek as she nods her head. "Roland… I would love to be your mom."

* * *

 _ **I hope you enjoyed this! And be on the lookout for the next chapter of What Would They Say!** _


	3. Chapter 3

**_So this past week was the two-year anniversary of What Would They Say and I did a twitter poll to see what flashforward I should write in celebration. The choices were pregnancy reveal, graduation, proposal and Cora's death. In a massive landslide pregnancy reveal won! So here's a flashforward of when Regina finds out she's pregnant, with another surprise tacked on ;) Hope you enjoy it!_**

* * *

Regina would never forget the day she found out she was pregnant for the second time.

It'd been a slow day at the studio and she'd decided to go out for lunch. Mulan and Tink sat across from her as they ate together out on the Drunken Monk patio. She was glad she'd invited them out. It'd been a long time since the three of them had spent time together. They'd only been half way through their meal when Tink popped the question.

"Do you have a tampon?"

Regina looks up from her plate, a little surprised. The voice behind the question comes from Tink, who's staring at her expectantly from across the table.

"I thought I had more in my bag but I'm out," she said, shrugging her shoulders.

Regina nodded her head. "Sure I've got one."

She reached into her purse and passed a tampon over the Tink, who ran off to the bathroom not long after. As it slipped from her hand into Tink's, a thought flickered into her head. She had tampons in her purse. How long had they been there? Why hadn't she used them yet?

 _It's a been a while_ , she thought to herself, _but how long?_

As Mulan continued to talk about one of her arrests at work Regina slipped her phone out of her pocket and pulled up her calendar. She'd had to have had her period recently, or, at the very least it should be coming up in a day or two. Her eyes ran over the dates, and her heartbeat sped up.

She should've started a week ago.

She was late. Very late.

Her throat grew tight as she tried to swallow her anxiety. A week ago? Really? Everything started to drift away from her. Everything she saw, everything she heard. It all started to fade as she started doing calculations in her head. If it hadn't come yet, that means she hasn't had her period in six weeks. But if it hadn't come in six weeks, then that meant…

Oh god.

"Hey!"

The sharp sound of Mulan's voice pulls her back to Earth. She looks up to see her staring from across the table, her brown eyes curious and unwavering.

"Are you alright?" she asked. "Feels like you haven't heard a word I've said."

Regina quickly tries to recover by offering her a tight, close-lipped smiled. "I'm fine," she said, slipping her phone back into her pocket.

"You don't look fine," Muland pressed, narrowing her eyes. "You look a little flushed actually."

"Oh," Regina softly breathed, bringing a hand up to her face. She must've gone pale with shock.

Mulan continued to stare at her from across the table, tilting her head. Regina tried to ignore her and reached for her glass of wine. As soon as her hand touched the glass she remembered that drinking probably wasn't the best choice at the moment.

"Shit," she cursed under her breath as she pulled back her hand.

"Okay, seriously, what is going on with you?" asked Mulan.

"Nothing… or something. I'm not sure," Regina vaguely replied, shaking her head. Mulan continued to stare her down and she reluctantly sighed. "It's just… when Tink asked for a tampon I realized I haven't used one for a while now. I haven't needed to."

"Oh… oh!" Mulan's eyes went wide when she realized what Regina meant. She straightened up in her chair, lips parted with surprise. Pausing she tried to figure out how to respond. She settled on another question.

"Well, how long has it been?"

"Six weeks," Regina answered, without hesitation.

Mulan blinked and nodded her head. "Okay, that's a while. You can't write that off."

Regina let out a sharp breath and let her forehead fall against her palm. "Oh my god," she hissed, shaking her head. "I don't understand how this happened. I've been taking the pill."

Mulan shook her head. "It's not one hundred percent effective."

Regina softly groaned as she leaned back in her seat. How could this happen? How could she be one of the few women to fall in the ten percent mentioned on the warning label?

At that moment, Tink returned from the bathroom, all smiles, and dropped back into her seat. She threw a quick thanks in Regina's direction before looking between their faces and asking, "So what did I miss?"

Regina's eyes flickered in her direction but she chose not to respond to her oblivious friend.

"It's only been a week," she reasoned, shaking her head in Mulan's direction. "I might not be."

Tink tilted her head, confused. "Might not be what?" she asked. "What's going on?"

"Have you ever been this late before?" questioned Mulan, ignoring Tink's increasingly desperate confusion.

 _Only once,_ Regina thought to herself. _And his name is Henry._

She shook her head. "No. Never more than a day or two."

Mulan let out a slow breath and drummed her fingers against the table. She averted her gaze and went silent like she always did when she was coming up with a plan. Ten long seconds passed before she firmly nodded her head and stood from the table.

"Alright, come on," she ordered, digging her wallet out of her jeans.

Regina and Tink looked up at her, bewildered, as she threw a few dollar bills on the table.

"Let's go," she drawled, commandingly, gesturing at them both when she saw they were still sitting. "Now."

"But we're not finished yet," mumbled Tink, still confused, even as she stood from her chair. "What's happening? Where are we going?"

Mulan leaned in to whisper to her, "We're going to the nearest drugstore to find out if Regina's pregnant or not."

XXXXXXXXXX

They didn't have to travel far but it didn't stop Regina from trying to get out of it the whole way there. She could give it a few more days, wait for her period to turn up. Still Mulan refused to let her back out.

"There are certain questions in life that demand immediate answers," she'd said. "'Am I pregnant?' is one of them."

A bell rang over their heads as they passed through the door of the nearest chain drugstore and made a beeline for the family planning section. The entire time Regina felt like her heart was going to jump out of her chest and onto the floor.

They all stopped when they reached the pregnancy tests. There were so many brands and types it gave them all pause.

"Fuck, there's a lot," Mulan observed, under her breath. She turned to Regina. "Which one do you want to use?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know," she mumbled, shaking her head.

She'd never actually taken a pregnancy test before. It'd been too dangerous when she'd been pregnant with Henry. Her mother had been watching her like a hawk and she hadn't wanted to risk her finding it somehow. Instead she'd just realized it over time, only getting absolute confirmation when she'd entered her second trimester and was finally able to go to the doctor.

Her eyes ran over the shelves of pregnancy tests, all the brands and types. Digital and two lines. Midstreams and cups. First Response. E.P.T. Clearblue. How the hell was she supposed to pick?

Tink grabbed a Clearblue test off the shelf and handed it to her.

"Take this one. It's the best," she said, confidently.

Regina tilted her head at Tink, skeptical, until the blonde rolled her eyes.

"C'mon, I have four sisters-in-law and nine nieces and nephews. This is not my first rodeo," she reminded her. "Trust me. They all swear by this brand."

Regina took a deep breath and nodded her head. "Okay."

XXXXXX

After checking out with a slightly judgmental cashier, they returned to the street with the pregnancy test and a liter of water in hand. Mulan started heading back to the Drunken Monk when Regina stopped her in her tracks.

"No no no no!" she stammered. "I can't take it there. There are too many prying eyes."

Robin was a good friend to nearly all his employees at the Drunken Monk. They all knew who she was and if any of them caught her with a pregnancy test, they'd be sure to let it slip to him. She couldn't have that. Not yet.

Mulan groaned. "Well then where do you want to do it? Do you want to drive to your house?"

"No, it's too far," she said. Her heart was still pounding, and she felt herself growing more and more urgent. She had to take this test and she had to take it now.

"Well, then where do you want to go?" asked Mulan, her tone growing more than a little impatient.

Tink stood on the street corner, looked all around and then pointed at a shop a little ways down the street. "Hey look, there's a Greek restaurant over there! I bet they have bathroom."

Regina looked where Tink was pointing and twisted her lips in displeasure. The place looked old and unlikely to be clean. But still, beggars can't be choosers.

"Fine," she said, twisting the cap off her water. "Let's go to the greek restaurant."

XXXXXXX

The restaurant turned out to be cleaner than she expected. It was an old place like she thought, open nearly thirty years if you believed the sign above the door. The brown tiles clacked under her heels as they walked up to the counter.

The smell of lamb hit her nose, causing her stomach to turn. Just another sign that she definitely needed to take this test.

An old man with bushy black eyebrows and a stained apron greeted them at the register. "Hello," he said, with a thick greek accent.

"Hi," said Mulan. "Can our friend use your bathroom? It's kind of an emergency."

She gestured toward Regina, who was still chugging water like her life depended on it.

The old man immediately shook his head. "No, no. Bathroom is for customers only."

Mulan glared at him. "Are you kidding me? It's an emergency."

Tink leaned forward past Mulan's shoulder. "Actually, I'll take a gyro wrap with onions and extra sauce on it."

Mulan turned to her and shook her head. "Really? You're gonna order a whole gyro just to use the bathroom?"

"Well it's not like I got to finish lunch. I'm hungry," Tink replied, nonplussed.

Regina swallowed another gulp of water. "Can I please just have the bathroom key? I actually really need it now."

The old man passed her a key attached to a wooden spoon. "Bathroom's down the hall," he directed, pointing across the restaurant. She muttered a quick thanks before heading down the hallway, her heart thumping with every step she took.

She reached the bathroom in seconds, her gut still twisting as she turned the lock. She went inside and shut the door behind her, falling against it as she let out a heaving breath. Her chest felt tight and she rubbed her hand against her sternum, trying to relieve some of her anxiety.

 _It's alright_ , she silently told herself. _Everything's going to be okay._

She repeated those words over and over in her head, hoping they'd calm her down. As she did she looked around the bathroom. It was small with island blue walls and a bowl of potpourri stationed on the sink counter. Her gaze fell to the mirror above the faucet and she locked eyes with her own reflection.

She'd never seen herself look so nervous.

Swallowing hard, she tore her gaze away from the mirror and down to the box in her hands. Looking over the instructions, she nodded her head to herself trying to feign confidence.

 _Seems simple enough,_ she thought.

She sat down on the toilet, awkwardly placing the stick between her legs as she finally emptied her bladder. Once she was finished she set the test on the counter and set a timer on her phone. And so started the longest three minutes of her life.

She slowly paced back and forth in the room, sending anxious glances towards the test as if it was a bomb that could go off at any moment. In a way, it was. Oh god, another baby? It could change her entire life and in ways that she wasn't completely sure she was ready for. She loved Henry but raising him had been such a struggle, especially in the early days. Henry. What would he even think of this? He'd been an only child for his entire life. The closest thing he'd had to a sibling was Roland. Oh god, how were they going to explain this Roland. He's just a little kid, he couldn't possibly understand what it all means. What the hell are she and Robin supposed to say to him?

Oh.

Robin.

His face flashes through her mind and she leans against the wall. What would he say about all this? If she was pregnant, how would he feel? Angry, upset, excited? They hadn't talked about having children. They were nowhere near ready to have that sort of conversation. They'd just barely gotten over everything that happened with her mother. Things were finally in a good place again. She didn't want to risk that.

She ran her fingers through her hair and took a deep breath. How did this even happen? She was on the pill and she took it every day. Didn't she? She racked her brain trying to think of a moment when she might've missed one.

She slapped her palm against her thigh, shaking her head. "Son of a bitch," she cursed under her breath.

The flu.

Weeks ago she'd had the flu. She'd been practically comatose, confined to bed, her brain had been absolute mush. Three days and she hadn't taken the pill once. She'd been too busy shoving other medications down her throat. At least Robin had taken care of her… which was exactly how she'd landed in this situation.

She took another deep breath, filling her lungs as much as she could before exhaling.

What the hell was she going to do?

Her phone alarm went off and her heart rang in her ears. She stared at the test sitting on the kitchen sink, her throat tightening with every passing second. Swallowing hard she stepped over to the sink.

 _It could be negative_ , she thought to herself. _It could be negative and this whole day could turn into a funny story._

Her heart pounded as she took the test in her hands, closed her eyes and took a deep breath. _It could be negative._

Slowly opening her eyes, she looked down at the test and felt her knees go weak.

 **PREGNANT**

There it was, clear in bold, digital letters. She was pregnant.

"Oh my god," she breathed. Her hands rushed out to grip the counter as she started to sway. A sudden rush of nausea fell over her and she bowed her head into the sink and threw up what little lunch she'd had, letting the pregnancy test fall out of her hand to clatter on the floor.

Finally her stomach stopped twisting and she lifted her head from the sink. Wiping off her mouth with a paper towel, she slumped against the wall breathless. A trembling hand went to rest on her stomach.

She couldn't believe it. She was having another baby.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

After taking another moment to recover - and rinse out the sink - she finally left the bathroom. She dropped the key off at the counter and joined Tink and Mulan at a table where they waited for her with matching expectant looks on their faces.

"Well?" asked Mulan. "What'd it say?"

"It was positive," Regina softly answered, nodding her head. "I'm pregnant."

Concern in her eyes, Tink tried to keep a smile off her face. "How are you feeling?"

"Shocked," Regina honestly replied, her voice breaking a little. She shook her head. "I didn't plan for this… at all."

"We know," said Mulan, "but that doesn't mean that it's bad, right?"

She looked over to Tink for support and she immediately jumped in. "Right," she agreed, nodding her head. She reached out to rub Regina's shoulder. "You might not have planned this but it's a baby. You'll still love it, just like you loved Henry."

Regina shook her head. "I do love Henry but when I was pregnant with him… it was… it was just so damn hard," she shakily admitted.

Memories of her first pregnancy flashed through her mind. How alone she'd felt being cooped up in her family's house. How heavy everything had seemed back then. Not to mention everything that happened after he was born. It'd been a nightmare. One that she'd thankfully escaped.

"Thing are different now," Mulan firmly reminded her. "You are not some 22-year-old girl who's backed into a corner by her mother. You're a grown woman now. With a home and a business and so many other good things that you can offer this kid. This incredibly lucky baby that's going to have you as a mother."

"And you're not alone this time," said Tink, grabbing her hand. "You have us. You can't possibly think we'd let you go through this by yourself."

"I know," said Regina, cracking a small smile. "I know I have more than I did then but still… I just don't feel ready."

"It's been less than ten minutes, try giving it another hour," quipped Mulan with a smirk.

When Regina only rolled her eyes, she sighed resignedly. "Well do you want it?"

Regina's eyes whipped over to her. "What?"

"The baby. Do you want it?" Mulan repeated forcefully.

"Of course I want it!" Regina replied without thinking. As soon the words hit her ears she pauses, surprised at the certainty behind them. "I mean… yes."

And for the first time since the thought of being pregnant even entered her mind, she stopped thinking of the situation and started thinking of the baby. Her baby. What would they look like. How they would sound. She wondered if they would have her eyes or Robin's. If they would be a boy or a girl. She thought of things and felt a spark of love ignite in her heart. The same spark of ferocious love she'd felt when she'd realized she was pregnant with Henry. Unplanned or not, this was her baby. And no matter the circumstances she wanted to have it.

She brought her hand down to rest on her stomach and nodded her head. "Yes, I want this baby."

A smile appeared on Mulan's face. "Good," she said. "Then focus on that, on the baby and how it makes you feel. You can figure out everything else later."

"Yeah," agreed Tink. "Just take a moment and let it sink in." Her green eyes sparkled as a grin lit up her face. "I mean, Regina… you're having another baby!"

A tear fell down Regina's cheek as she finally let a smile take over her lips. "Yeah, yeah I am."

Yes, she was having another baby… and now she had to figure out a way to tell their father.

XXXXXXXX

She called in to work on her way home. Her mind was so muddled with baby thoughts there was no way she'd be able to get through the rest of the day.

She'd left her friends with strict instructions not to say a word to Robin until after she'd had the chance to talk to him. God, she had no idea how to even start that conversation. Her first hour at home had been spent staring at the screen of her cellphone, debating whether or not to call or text him. She hadn't been able to decide so she gave up. Instead, she chose to curl up on her couch with a throw blanket and an album of Henry's baby pictures.

Flipping through them she marveled at how tiny he used to be, how easily he could settle in her arms back then. So much had changed since then. His head went past her hip now and she doubted she could even pick him up for very long, not that he'd ever let her try. Still, he'd been a beautiful baby. She'd never forget that.

The album was full of pictures of his first few months. Moments when he'd first smiled, first waved, even one of the two them in the hospital after his birth. Joyous occasions. Still Regina looked at them with a twinge of sadness in her heart. No matter what page she flipped she could always be sure that the pictures would only feature the two of them, with maybe the occasional appearance of her father. During his early days, it'd always been her and Henry. No friends… or father.

It still broke her heart to know that Henry would never know Daniel like she had. That they'd never share a picture or a memory.

Again her hand settled on her middle. She thought of how different things would be for the baby she was carrying now. They'd have a father. One who would love and cherish them for the rest of his days. If only she could manage to tell him of their existence.

She looked up when she heard the doorbell and the turning of the lock in her front door. "Regina?"

Her heart pounds at the sound of his voice. "Robin?"

He rounds the corner of her living room, still dressed in his Drunken Monk t-shirt, looking relieved when he finds her sitting on the couch. She stares up at him, dumbfounded, as he approaches. "What are you doing here?"

"David said you guys left lunch in a hurry and when I called the studio to see what happened they'd said you called in," he explained. "I was worried. I wanted to check on you."

He leaned down to give her a forehead kiss and she felt her cheeks grow hot. "Oh."

Robin looked down at her, concerned. "Are you feeling alright?"

She hesitates, unsure of what to say. Finally she nodded her head. "I'm alright, I'm just…feeling a little under the weather," she vaguely responded.

"Is there anything I can get you?" he asked.

She shakes her head. "No I'm fine… just… can you just sit with me for a little while?"

"Of course," he said, settling down next to her. His eyes land on the photo album in her lap. "Taking a stroll down memory lane?"

She chuckles, nervously, and nods her head. "Yeah, it'd just been a while. Thought I'd jog my memory."

She passes it over to him and he smiles down at the pictures of her and baby Henry. "My god," he breathed. "I still can't believe that either of them used to be this small."

"Or that they've gotten so big," she softly replied.

Robin nodded his head in agreement as he flips to another page. "I haven't looked at Roland's baby pictures in ages. It gives me panic attacks seeing how much he's grown."

Regina watched him look over the pictures with thoughts of the baby in the back of her mind.

 _Just do it now,_ she silently ordered herself. _Do it before you can back out_.

She reached out to lay her hand on his wrist. "Robin… we need to talk."

Nervousness flashed over his blue eyes as he looked up at her, put on guard by the solemnity in her tone. "Okay," he mumbled, setting aside the photo album. "What about?"

She anxiously pressed her lips together as he stared at her expectantly. There were millions of words in the world and somehow not one of them seemed worthy enough to start this conversation. Again she's reminded that she'd never had to this Daniel. She has no idea how to proceed.

"Regina?" he gently prods.

She lets out a soft breath. _Here we go_.

"Robin…I…"

She trails off letting the words get stuck in the back of her throat.

 _For God's sake, just spit it out!_

"Robin, I'm pregnant."

The words rush from her mouth like a freight train. They fall from her lips and immediately fill the room with their weight. Yet somehow, even with the almost superhuman force she'd pushed them out with, it still takes ten seconds for them to actually reach him.

He silently stared at her and she watched as the realization of what she'd just said play out on his face. HIs eyes widen in surprise, his jaw drops and the whole time his eyes never left hers.

He finally manages to speak. "What?"

"I'm pregnant," she shakily repeats. Swallowing hard she starts to explain, "I took a test today and it was positive. I'm pregnant."

She waited for him to say something, anything but he didn't. It seemed as though he left her, retreating into his own mind to have what looks like a very intense conversation with himself.

Unable to stand the silence, she continued to talk. "Look I know that it's fast, and that we haven't even talked about kids or anything like th-"

"I want to marry you."

It's her turned to be stunned now. His words come so quickly, stopping her own in their tracks, that she can't even be sure that he's actually said them. But she sees the conviction in his eyes and feels it in his touch when he takes her hands in his own.

"I mean it," he said. "Marry me."

Again her words are stuck in her throat and her heart pounds in her chest. She stares at him, wide-eyed and completely thrown off. God, she loves him. She loves him so much… but this isn't the way she wants him.

Her eyes drop down to their hands as she shakes her head. "Robin I- we can't," she softly stammers.

"Why not?" he asks. "Really why not? I love you."

"I love you too," she says, gently squeezing his hands. "I really love you but we can't. Not like this."

"Not like, what?"

"Robin," she says, softly shaking her head at him. "I don't want you to propose to me just because I'm pregnant."

"That's not what I'm doing," he promises.

"Yes, you are," she argues. "You know there's no way you'd be asking me to marry you right now if you hadn't just found out that I'm pregnant."

Robin sets his jaw as he stares into her brown eyes. "Is that really what you believe?" he asks, in a low voice.

Slowly she nodded her head. "Yes, it is."

Pressing his lips together, he pulls his hand from hers and reaches down into his pocket. Regina's eyes widen when she sees him pull out a small, red velvet ring box. He opens it revealing the diamond engagement ring inside.

He stays silent for a moment, taking in her reaction,before asking, "What do you believe now?"

Regina's hand flies to her mouth at the sight of it. She looks up at him, tears forming in her eyes, completely stunned. "Robin…"

He smiles at her, his own eyes growing a little watery. "I've had this on me for a couple of days now. The boys helped me pick it out. They're really hoping you like it."

She nods her head, a smile growing on her face at the thought of their sons helping him pick it out for her. "It's beautiful," she manages to say.

Her throat has gone tight,she can barely hold back the tears in her eyes at she looks down at it. It really is a beautiful ring. It's a halo diamond ring with a criss-cross band. Simply gorgeous.

"I was gonna wait," he said. "Plan something more romantic, or elaborate. But if I wait any longer now, you'll always be wondering if I asked because of you or because of the baby and I don't want you to wonder about that."

A tear streamed down her cheek and she hastily wiped it away as she listened to him speak.

"Regina, I'm asking you to marry me because I love you. I love you so much, every piece of you. Your past, your flaws…. your son, especially. I love both so much and after everything that we've been through I don't want to risk living a life without either one of you in it ever again. So will you, Regina Mills, marry me?"

"Yes," she says, fervently nodding her head. "Yes, I will marry you."

A wide grin breaks out on his face before he leans in to capture her lips in a kiss. She passionately kisses him back, her heart overflowing with joy.

Regina Mills would always remember the day she find out she was pregnant for the second time.  
It was the happiest day of her entire life.

* * *

 _ **I hope you enjoyed this! Please leave a review if you did!**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N: Hi guys! Here's a quick flashforward of the Hood-Mills family first Father's Day in the What Would They Say verse. I hope you enjoy it!**_

* * *

It was early morning and sunlight streamed through the curtains, spilling into the master bedroom of Robin's home. He'd woken up hours ago but remained in bed, silently thinking of the day that laid ahead as he held wrapped his arm around his wife.

His wife.

It still felt new, being able to say that phrase again. Regina stirred in his arms as his hand drifted down to her stomach, for the fourth time that morning. He could see the beginnings of a smile on the side of her face as he looked down at her.

"You can feel all you like," she mumbled. "But they're not gonna move for you, it's still too early."

She was just over three months pregnant and they were still reeling from the revelation that they were having twins but Robin couldn't be more excited. Life had moved more than fast for them these past few weeks - they'd gotten pregnant, engaged and married all within the span of a month - but the way he saw it they had the rest of their lives to slow things down. Right now, he just wanted to enjoy their growing family and all that came with it.

Pressing a quick kiss right behind her ear, he softly chuckled. "You don't know that they won't kick today. They might be gifted."

"Wishful thinking," she whispered, turning in his arms. Facing him, she sighed and reached out to stroke his cheek with her thumb. "Are you ready for today?"

"More than anything," he eagerly replied, grinning down at her. "It's a little strange to think I'll be spending Father's Day in a courthouse but I can't think of anything I want more."

Regina's lips pulled into a relaxed smile before she leaned in to give him a kiss. "I'm glad we're doing this," she mumbled against his lips.

"Me too," he whispered.

Their small moment was interrupted by a sharp clang coming from the floor below them. For the second time that morning Robin was sure that Roland had dropped another plate or utensil on the kitchen floor. Regina bit her lip, shaking her head at him. "Are you sure you don't want me to go down there and supervise?"

"No," he drawled, pulling her closer. "If you were down there, then you wouldn't be here. Besides I'm sure Henry has everything under control."

Ever since Roland was old enough to man the toaster on his own, Robin had stayed in bed for Father's Day morning. On any other morning he'd hardly consider burnt toast overloaded with grape jelly a hearty breakfast but it was all Roland could make and that made it the best meal in the whole world. Even if he had to clean up the disastrous mess his son left behind.

Five minutes later the door of their bedroom was haphazardly kicked open with a bang.

"Happy Father's Day!" shouted Roland, a wide grin on his face as he rushed into his parents' bedroom.

"Happy Father's Day!" said Henry, his voice much quieter but still no less enthusiastic than his stepbrother's, as he trailed behind him holding a breakfast tray.

Sitting up, Robin grinned as Roland hopped on the bed, still in his pajamas, to give him a smacking kiss on his cheek. "I love you!"

"I love you, too," said Robin, kissing his forehead.

"Happy Father's Day, Robin," said Henry, passing him the breakfast tray. There was still a bit of apprehension in his eyes as he gave his new stepfather a quick hug. It was his first Father's Day spent with a father figure of any kind. He'd approached Robin a week ago, unsure of how he'd want to spend the day or what he'd want as a gift. Even after their talk, he still seemed a little nervous and so was Robin, frankly. He wanted to make sure that Henry felt just as included in this day as Roland.

The two boys climbed into bed with their parents, Henry inserting himself in between Robin and Regina while Robin curled into his father's side. "We made you breakfast!"

"I can see that," laughed Robin, eyeing his breakfast tray. As expected there was toast, same as every year, but decidedly less burnt than he was used to. He supposed he could chalk that up to Henry's influence, as well as the half cup of orange juice and sliced strawberries.

"I squeezed the orange juice myself," said Henry. He grimaced. "It didn't make as much juice as I thought."

"It's perfect," replied Robin, with a smile. "Thank you."

Henry only offered a relieved smile in response, leaning back into the headboard. "So what do we now?"

"Cartoons in bed!" answered Roland. "We always watch Finding Nemo."

Robin nodded, thinking of the Disney movie with the frantic clownfish searching for his lost son. It used to be just a silly kids movie to him, but after Marian died he found he could relate to Marlin's journey. The loss of his wife and his need to keep his young son safe. He empathized more than he expected. It became his tradition to watch it with Roland on Father's Day. A small reminder not to hold on too tight, even in the moments that scared him.

"I set it up for you last night," said Regina, passing Robin the remote. "You three can enjoy the movie while I head downstairs."

The three of them groaned in displeasure as Regina stepped out of bed and pulled on her silk robe.

"No Mommy, you have to stay for the movie!" pleaded Roland.

"I would love to, sweetheart," Regina replied, playfully tapping his cheek. "But I'm pretty sure there's a big mess waiting for me downstairs, am I right?"

She eyed her son and Henry ducked his head, avoiding his mother's gaze and confirming her suspicions. Regina only chuckled good-naturedly before pressing a kiss to her husband's cheek. "It's fine. Spend some alone time with our sons. I'll be back in a minute."

Blowing them all a quick kiss, she headed toward the door as Robin clicked play on Finding Nemo, sighing comfortably as the title screen shimmered on the tv screen.

Once Regina slipped from the room, he gently tapped Henry on the shoulder. "Hey… did you pick up a card? For this afternoon?"

Henry nodded, pressing his lips together but keeping his eyes trained on the television to avoid showing how uneasy he felt. "Mom helped me pick one out a few days ago so…" He paused, growing thoughtful. "I'm not sure I wrote enough."

"It's not about length," Robin gently reminded him. "It's about what you want to say. That's all that matters."

Henry mumbled a soft okay before reaching for a strawberry and settling deeper into the bedspread. Robin affectionately ran his hand over his head, turning his attention back to the chaos. Roland giggled, wrapped in his father's arm, as Nemo hopped on Marlin's back excited for his first day of school.

Barely half an hour into their first Father's Day as a family and Robin could already tell it was the best one yet. And he knew it was only gonna get better.

 ** _XXXXXX_**

While the morning was spent in leisure, watching Finding Nemo and eating breakfast in bed, things grew more hectic once the movie ended.

They'd enjoyed themselves a little too much and wound up behind schedule for their court appointment. As they drove to the courthouse, Regina sat in the back seat attempting to help Roland and Henry with their ties so they wouldn't be late. As they waited in the hall, Robin couldn't resist loosening the tie on his own neck while they waited for the judge to address their case.

He'd spent a fair amount of time both in courtrooms and in suits, he'd never been fond of either. Still, all he could feel was excitement as he waited outside of the judge's chambers. This day had been a long time coming.

Shortly after arriving they were greeted by Archie as he rushed down the hall to meet them, briefcase in hand.

"Hi!" he said, a little out of breath as he met them with a wide smile, walking into Regina's arms for a hug.

She grinned at him. "I'm so glad you're here," she said, actually glowing with excitement. "I can't thank you enough for helping with this."

He waved her off, sending Robin a nod. "No, you two more than deserve it. I was happy to help." He looked around, curious. "Am I the only one here yet? The rest of your guests should hurry, judge'll be ready any minute now."

Robin shook his head. "Nobody else is coming," he said, wrapping his arm around Regina's waist. "We decided this was a moment just for us."

"We'll have a party later," said Regina, nodding in agreement. "But right now it should only be the four of us, or six." She softly chuckled, running her hand over her stomach.

Archie nodded his head, appreciatively. Shortly after they were approached by a court aide and led into the the judge's chambers, Robin holding tightly onto Roland's hand as they walked through the doors. Their judge was an older black woman with a streak of grey in her hair, named Eudora Johnson. She brightly smiled at them, still in her judge's robe as she sat behind her desk.

"Hello!" Her voice was tender and warm as she waved them into her chambers. "I heard someone was looking to be adopted today."

"Yes," said Regina, her voice shaky with excitement. The grin on her face was wide as she rested her hands on Henry's shoulders.

The decision to adopt each other's children had been an easy one, made in the whispers of early morning only a few hours after they'd been married. They'd made a vow to each other, it was only natural they should do the same with their boys.

Eudora flipped their file, adjusting her glasses. "Okay, so as I understand it, you" - she gestured toward Robin - "Robin Locksely would like to adopt your wife's son, Henry Mills, age 11. And you" - she gestured toward Regina - "Regina Mills would like to adopt your husband's son, Roland Locksely, age 7."

They both nodded their heads, murmuring affirmatively at her assessment. Robin's heart pounded in his chest as he watched her look over their files, praying nothing would suddenly be amiss for either of them.

Judge Johnson, nodded her head. "Well everything your attorney has given me looks good. So… why don't we start with mom first?"

Glancing toward Robin, Regina's eyes shined with joy and nervousness before she reached for Roland's hand approaching the judge's desk with him, her hot pink dress matching perfectly with Roland's hot pink tie. Together they faced the judge and she offered them a nice, warm smile.

"Hi there, sweetheart," she addressed Roland. "Do you understand what's happening here today?"

Roland's curls bounced atop his head as he nodded vigorously. "You're making it so Regina is my mom like she's Henry's mom."

The judge nodded. "That's right. Is that what you want?"

"Yes." Roland squeezed Regina's hand, looking up at her. "I've always wanted her to be my mom, that's why I gave her the bracelet."

Robin could see tears well up in his wife's eyes as she looked down at his - no, their son and remembered the day when he had "proposed" to her with a silver bracelet, that was still on her wrist at this very moment.

"Good." Eudora smiled at him, before turning her attention to Regina. "And you, Mrs. Mills… is it your intention to provide Roland with an attentive, loving home so long as he remains under your care, regardless of your husband's presence?"

"Yes." Regina's answer was immediate and her voice thick with emotion as she nodded. "I want to be Roland's mother."

"That's all I need to hear," said Eudora, recognizing Regina's sincerity. "Okay. Raise your right hand for me."

Regina raised her hand, letting out an eager breath as Roland held onto her side.

"Do you affirm that the testimony you are about to give is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?"

"I do."

"Do you wish to adopt this child as your legally adopted son?"

"I do, yes."

"And under what name shall this child be known?"

"Roland Tucker Locksely-Mills."

"An excellent name," complimented Judge Johnson. "One I have the absolute pleasure of signing into law."

A small breathless laugh falls from Regina's lips as she watches the judge sign the adoption papers. Robin beamed at her as she picked up Roland for a hug. From the day his son was born, he'd watched Regina shower him with love and affection. She'd always made it more than clear that a piece of her heart belonged to him. Having it on paper was one of the best gifts he could ever receive.

The judge peered around her shoulder toward Robin and Henry. "Ready for round two?"

"Absolutely," he said, looking down at Henry.

Henry looked up at him, his mother's smile mirrored on his face. As they stepped up to the judge's desk, Robin thought back to that day so many years ago when they'd first met, when he'd walked out into his living room and saw a baby sprawled out on his living room floor. If you'd told him then that one day that baby would be his son, he wouldn't have believed you, not for one second. But he thanked God everyday that he got the chance to see that baby boy grow up, to watch him turn into the amazing young man who stood by his side now and wanted to join his family.

The judge leaned forward and rested her elbows against her desk. "Henry, you're a little bit older than your brother, so I assume you understand what's taking place today."

Henry nodded. "I'm being adopted by Robin."

"That's right," said Judge Johnson. "And is being adopted what you want? For Robin to be your father?"

Robin's heart skipped a beat in his chest. They'd spoken to Henry about the adoption numerous times, always checking to make sure that he was comfortable and on board. He'd always said that it was what he wanted but there was a small part of Robin that feared he might change his mind on that. Luckily, that part of him had nothing to fear.

Henry looked at the judge. "I've always wanted Robin to be my dad."

A lump appeared in Robin's throat out of nowhere and he supportively squeezed Henry's shoulder. He couldn't imagine be happier than he was in this moment.

"Well I am so happy I could help with that," replied Judge Johnson. She turned her attention to Robin. "So Mr. Locksely… is it your intention to provide Henry with an attentive, loving home so long as he remains under your care, regardless of your wife's presence?

Robin nodded. "For the rest of my life, yes."

Judge Johnson nodded, supportively. "Alright… do me a favor and raise your right hand."

Robin happily did as told.

Bright smile on her face she asked. "Do you affirm that the testimony you are about to give is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?"

"I do."

"Do you wish to adopt this child as your legally adopted son?"

"Yes, I do."

"And under what name shall this child be known?"

"Henry Daniel Locksely-Mills."

"Wonderful," said the judge, before bringing her pen to sign the adoption papers. "And you are officially father and son."

A grin split across Robin's face as Henry wrapped his arms around him - his son finally. A hand rested on his shoulder and he found Regina by his side, pressing a kiss to his cheek as a tear ran down her own despite the happy laughter coming from her.

The judge warmly looked on as they embraced each other. "Regina and Robin… I have spent the last fifteen years behind this desk, doing my best to ensure that children end up exactly where they belong. And I can honestly say I have never been more confident about a decision I've made here as I am about this one. The four of you have seen each other through good times and bad, loss and gains. I can't imagine a group of people more suited to be a family and now in the eyes of the law you are. I am pleased to declare you the Locksely-Mills."

Holding their boys close, they thanked her profusely. As they stood for photos and let Roland bang the judge's gavel, Robin felt as though his heart could burst with joy. He couldn't imagine a better Father's Day gift than knowing that they were a family in every way.

 _ **XXXXXX**_

They walked out of the courthouse hand in hand and headed straight over to the Drunken Monk, where they were greeted by all their friends in a haze of congratulations. Together they ate celebratory cheeseburgers and blew out the candles on a sheet cake with their new family name frosted on top.

Locksely-Mills.

Unfortunately the celebration didn't last long. Only two hours into their party Robin tapped Regina on the shoulder. "Hey… if you don't mind catching a ride back with Emma, I think Henry and I are gonna take our trip now."

"Oh." She sighed. "Are you sure you want to do this today? It could wait until tomorrow. I'm sure he wouldn't mind."

Robin shook his head. "No, it should be today. It's Father's Day."

Regina nodded her head in acceptance, a flash of sorrow going across her eyes. "I understand. Hurry back, okay."

"We'll be back before bedtime, I promise." Robin gave her a quick kiss before heading back to the table to collect Henry and head for the car.

As they headed down the highway together, Henry remained silent going over the words he'd written down in his Father's Day card. They'd made the plan for the trip a few days ago. Robin suggested it when Henry asked him what they should do for Father's Day. He still felt a little anxious about the whole thing but deep in his heart he knew it was the right thing for them.

As they pulled up to the cemetery, he noticed that Henry looked nervous as he unclicked his seatbelt.

"Are you alright?"

Henry nodded. "I just feel… weird." He shrugged. "I mean I never got to know him and now I have you."

"You do have me," Robin solemnly replied. "And you always will. But you also have Daniel too and that's important, even if he's no longer here."

He leaned across the seat and reminded him. "You know as well as I do that the bond between a father and a son goes much deeper than blood… but it goes a lot deeper than death as well. Your father doesn't stop being your father just because he died." He affectionately ran his hand over Henry's head. "And the people we love have a way of staying with us after they're gone, especially if we keep doing small things to honor them."

"Like a Father's Day card?"

Robin nodded. "Like a Father's Day card."

Henry looked out on the cemetery thoughtfully and Robin patted his shoulder. "You ready?"

Humming affirmatively, Henry nodded before stepping out of the car. Together they found Daniel's grave right where Regina said it would be. Robin sighed, taking in his headstone. Though Regina had taken Henry here a while ago, it was Robin's first time visiting. Looking at the dates chiseled in the marble he was struck by just how young Daniel had died. He'd thought that Marian had been taken too soon and she had but at least she'd had the chance to hold Roland in her arms. Daniel hadn't been as lucky. He'd never gotten the chance to see the amazing boy he helped create, hadn't even gotten the chance to know of his existence. It was a travesty.

Wiping a bit of dirt off the top of the headstone, Henry reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small Batman action figure. He placed it at the base of the headstone in the grass.

"Uncle Will said that Batman was his favorite," he explained. "They made new figures this year. I thought he might like one."

"That's sweet," said Robin, smiling down at the little action figure. It stood in the grass, back against the marble as if it was the guardian of the grave. "And the card?"

Henry nodded, reaching for the Father's Day card he'd brought along. Robin had suggested that he bring one and write a letter to Daniel about anything that he liked. He used to do the same thing to his father when he'd first died. It'd helped more than he understood at the time.

"What'd you write about?" he asked.

"A lot of stuff," mumbled Henry, setting the card down next to the action figure. "I wrote about Mom and school." He paused, shrugging. "I wrote about you, too."

"Me?"

"Mm-hmm." Henry nodded. "I told him that you were cool, and that I loved you. And I'm sad that he's not here... but I'm glad that you are."

Henry's voice had gone wobbly as he looked down on the grave, clearly conflicted about all that he was feeling. Robin supportively squeezed his shoulder. "That sounds very sweet and very honest." Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his own card, one of gratitude. "I wrote something a little similar."

It didn't feel right coming to visit Daniel's grave empty-handed. So he'd picked up a gratitude card the night before. He thought it would've been hard writing to Regina's deceased fiance but the words came easier than he expected.

"I wrote about you," he said, leaving his card beside Henry's. "I wrote about how amazing you are, how you're the greatest big brother Roland could've asked for and how I can't wait for you to meet the twins. I thanked him for leaving behind something so incredible for me to have in my life. And how much I wish he could've seen what you've become."

It was strange to feel so indebted to someone he'd never met but he couldn't help it. Without Daniel there would be no Henry. That made him one of the most important people to walk this Earth in Robin's eyes. Getting the chance to step into role he'd never gotten to fill was the luckiest thing that ever happened to him.

He wrapped his arms around his son. "I'm so glad I have you in my life Henry."

"I know," said Henry, hugging him. "And I'm glad we came here for Father's Day."

Robin smiled. "Me too."

And so a tradition was started. Every year on Father's Day the two of them would make the pilgrimage to Daniel's grave to leave their cards. Sometimes they'd bring Regina and Roland, not always but sometimes. And even when Henry left to start his life elsewhere Robin would still make the journey to deliver the cards himself.

It was the least he could do for a man who'd given him his eldest son.

* * *

 _ **They're officially a family! I hope you enjoyed this flashforward! Please leave a review if you did!**_

 _ **Happy Father's Day you guys!**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Summary: Regina has an accident while pregnant with the twins.**_ _ **Including prompts number 47, 40, 24 and 41 for AngstFest!**_

* * *

The first time Roland got really scared, he hadn't seen it coming.

He'd been frightened before, of course. He shuddered during storms and hid behind his hands when Uncle Killian took him to a haunted house, but he'd never been truly terrified before. Not until that day after school.

It was a sunny day and after getting off the bus, he'd been walking home from school with Andrew and his mom. His daddy used to pick him up after school but he doesn't anymore. Not since Henry and Regina had moved in. Now that they were a family, he rode the bus with Henry and they walked home together so they could look out for one another. Henry said _that's what brothers do_ but he wasn't there that day - he'd stayed behind for a club meeting. Roland wasn't bothered though. Andrew and his mom were walking him home and when he got there Regina promised to be waiting.

He was excited to spend time with his mom, just the two of them. Being a family was fun and all but he missed getting alone time with his parents. Especially, since his dad told him that he'd get even less once the babies arrived.

Two blocks later, he reached his house, waving goodbye to Andrew and his mom as he walked through the door. The second he stepped inside he was greeted by Ember, his new puppy. A black lab, she came down the stairs like a flashing shadow, her paws thumping against the ground as she ran to his side, frantically jumping and barking. Roland just laughed, affectionately patting her on the head. "Hi girl! I missed you!"

Ember just continued to bark and paw at him. Later on he'd realize that her feet were wet, but he didn't then. Not yet.

He called out for Regina. "Mommy! Mom!"

He thought she was in the kitchen but she didn't come around to greet him. Ember whimpered, cantering toward the stairs, looking back, urging him to follow. He heard the sound of water running through the pipes, like they always did when someone in the house was running a bath.

She must be upstairs, he thought. Shrugging off his backpack, he hurried up the staircase, Ember by his side the whole time. He heard the sound of water coming from the master bathroom, and he rushed in eager to see her.

"Mom?"

The first thing he saw was her, still in her work clothes, laid out on the bathroom floor. The water was still running and the tub had started overflow, spilling onto the floor. His mom was in the center of a puddle, water seeping into her hair and silk blouse as she laid on her side, crumpled, her eyes shut as if she'd just fallen asleep there, a hand on the bump in her middle, where she'd said the babies were growing.

Ember rushed to her side but Roland just stood there, watching as his dog sadly licked at his mom's cheek. She didn't respond to it all, which was scary because she never liked it when Ember licked her face, she'd always push her off. But she wasn't moving now, why wasn't she moving? _**Is that blood?**_

A sharp breath got caught in his throat, as he stood there petrified, his heart pounding in his ears, drowning out the sound of the tub faucet, which still ran on.

"Mom?"

His voice came out small, confused. She should be getting up, she should be hearing him and getting up, saying everything is okay. But she isn't. She's just laying there.

"Mommy?"

He finally moved, rushing over to kneel by her side, water seeping into the fabric of his khaki pants as he did so. Ember still whimpered as he put his hands on her shoulder, shaking her as hard as he could. "Mommy, mommy, wake up please!"

His voice started to tremble as he shook her, growing more frightened every second she didn't respond. He started to pant in fear, looking down at her. She was still breathing, he could see that. Her head lolled to the side as he clutched at her shoulder, a soft groan coming from her lips, a drop of blood falling from a cut on her temple.

Roland pressed his lips together, tears starting to well up in his eyes. No this wasn't good. He didn't know what to do. He looked around, wishing with all his heart that someone would magically show up - his dad, Henry, or Andrew's mom - just somebody who could show up and help his mommy.

Then he remembered what his Aunt Mulan said when she came became a police officer.

 _Being a police officer means that when people need help, they call 911, and I show up to help them._

Maybe his Aunt Mulan would come if he called her. Still breathing heavily, he ran downstairs, the bottom of his sneakers - wet from the bathroom floor- squeaking against the wood steps. In his haste he over shot the last step, falling to the bottom of the staircase, skidding his knees against the floor, landing on the palms of his hand. Wincing, he stood to his feet, noticing a sharp pain in his right knee as he continued to limp to the kitchen. Turning the corner, he grabbed the house phone his dad told him was for emergencies. His throat felt tight as he pressed 9-1-1.

"9-1-1, what's your emergency?"

Oh no. This wasn't his Aunt Mulan. This was a man.

"Hello?" The man on the other line spoke again. "Hello? Is anyone there?"

Roland whimpered, swallowing hard. "Um… is my Aunt Mulan there?"

"Excuse me?" The man sounded confused.

"Is my Aunt Mulan there? I need her," he desperately said, tears streaming down his cheek.

There was a pause. "I'm sorry sweetheart. This is the wrong number-"

"No! No! My Aunt Mulan said that if I needed her, I call 911 and she'd show up to help me! And I need her please!" he cried.

The man paused again. "She told you to call 911? That's what she said?"

"Uh-huh."

The man blew out a breath. "Okay… What do you need help with?"

Roland let out a shuddering breath. "My mommy's on the bathroom floor and she won't get up and there's no one else here!"

"Okay, are you with her right now?"

"No, she's upstairs."

"Okay buddy, take a deep breath and calm down. My name is Alex and I'm gonna help you, alright. Do me a favor and head back upstairs with your mom, let me know when you're there."

Roland nodded his head before running back upstairs with the phone in hand. When he reached the bathroom, his mom was right where he left her and he saw that the puddle had gotten bigger, reaching the bedroom carpet. He sat down next to her, his heart still pounding.

"I'm here," he said.

"Okay, good job," said Alex. "Now I've called some of my friends and they're gonna be there real soon to help you, okay. But I need you to answer some questions for me. Can you do that?"

"Okay," said Roland, his voice still gravely.

"How does your mommy look? Is she awake, are her eyes open?"

Roland gulped, looking down at Regina. "No, her eyes are closed and she didn't wake up when I shook her. She has a cut on her forehead. It's bleeding."

"That's alright," Alex assured. "Now I want you to do me a favor, gently put your hand over her nose, don't press down but I want you to see if you can feel her breathing."

Roland did as he was told, putting his hand over his mother's nose, pulling it away just as fast when he felt air coming out of it. "I think she's still breathing."

"That's great, that's really good," said Alex.

Roland's eyes drifted down his mother's middle. "Should I check if the babies are breathing, too?"

Alex paused. "Babies? What babies?"

"My mom has babies in her stomach," said Roland. "Are they okay?"

Alex blew out a breath. "I don't know but my friends will tell you when they get there, okay. It's only gonna be a little while longer. Right now I just need you to wait for them to come. I'm gonna talk to you until they get there, okay. What's your name, buddy?"

"Roland," he whispered.

"That's a great name, Roland," replied Alex. "How old are you?"

"Six," he said.

"Don't worry, Roland. Everything is gonna be okay."

Roland nodded, not quite sure if he believed the stranger from over the phone. He didn't know who Alex was but he was glad he wasn't alone anymore.

He suddenly heard someone bang at the door, causing Ember to bark and run downstairs.

"Someone's at the door," he whispered to Alex.

"Those are my friends," he said. "They're here to help you, but you have to let them in, okay. I promise they won't hurt you."

Roland glanced down at his mom again. He didn't want to leave her, but if the people downstairs could help he knew he should. Staying on the phone, he went to the door. Opening it, he saw three people in uniform - a woman and two men - waiting for him expectantly, while an ambulance remained parked on the curb. The woman approached him with a reassuring smile.

"Hi sweetheart, 911 sent us to help. Can you show us where your mom is?"

He nodded. "She's upstairs in the bathroom."

The three of them followed him up to Regina. When they reached the bathroom, one of the men set him down on the bed and told him to wait there. As he watched them help his mom, he lifted his phone up to his ear again.

"Alex?"

"Hi Roland, are my friends helping your mom?"

"Yes."

"Good." Alex sighed in relief. "Okay bud, they're gonna help you from now on but you were really brave. I have to go now, okay?"

He really didn't want Alex to go but Roland nodded his head. "Okay, Alex. Thank you."

Hanging up the phone, he saw one of the men in the bathroom push Ember out onto the carpet, wanting her out of the way. His dog whimpered before trotting over to join him on the bed. Roland wrapped his arms around her as she laid her head in his lap. His parents never liked it when Ember hopped on the furniture but he couldn't imagine pushing her away now. Not when everything was so scary.

He didn't know how long he sat there. Just that he only moved when he heard someone call his name.

 ** _xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

The moment he found out Marian died was a moment etched into Robin's memory. He remembered how quickly everything had changed. One minute he was happy, looking forward to their future as family and one phone call later… she was gone. Three sentences and his heart had been ripped out.

 _We did all we could._

 _She didn't make it._

 _I'm so sorry._

For months afterward, he'd flinched at every phone call. It wasn't rational, he'd known that, but a part of him had been afraid that on the other end of the line someone was waiting to shatter his world again. It was an old fear. One he barely remembered and hadn't expected to be triggered as he sat in the car waiting for Henry to finish up with his school newspaper meeting.

The club meeting was supposed to be over in five minutes. They were supposed to go home, meet up with Regina and Roland, order pizza and have a quiet night at home to start the weekend. That was the plan until he got that call.

His phone buzzed in the cup holder and he saw Mulan's face light up the screen. A little surprised, he smiled as he picked it up. "Hello stranger. It's been a while."

There was a pause on the other line before he heard her take a deep breath. "Robin…"

It was something about her tone, the way she said his name. He'd heard that tone before. His mother had it right before she told him his father died, and right before she left him at the group home. The doctor had it right before they told him and Marian that they probably couldn't have kids. Regina had it when he'd asked her for the truth. He knew that tone. It was always the harbinger of bad news.

Something in his gut grows heavy as he straightened up in his seat, gripping the steering wheel tighter. "What's wrong?"

She sighs. "Listen… I was on duty when I got a call from an 911 operator I knew. A call came in and it was Roland… Regina had an accident at the house."

His chest is tight now, probably constricting in an effort to contain his pounding heart. Fear begins to vibrate under his skin, locked beneath the surface, buzzing through every inch of him. He tries to let it out with a short breath.

"An accident? What accident?" He can't hold back the desperation in his voice as he interrogates her through the phone. "Is Regina okay? The babies?"

"I...don't know," Mulan shakily answers. "The EMTs got there quick but it looks like she hit her head pretty bad. She wasn't conscious when Roland came 're taking her to the hospital now."

"Roland found her?"

His heart thumps harder with panic at the mention of his son's name, at the thought of him finding Regina like that, how scared he must've been with his father nowhere in sight. There's a burning behind his eyes as he digs his fingers into the steering wheel, trying not to get swept away by his dread. He wants to run to them, right now. He needs to feel them in his arms, see them with his eyes. Somehow he knows it's the only thing that's going to stop the invisible band that's tightening around his chest, keeping him from breathing. He needs to see his family.

"I'm here at the house with Roland now," said Mulan. "I came over as soon as I heard. He's okay, he's with me."

A miniscule drop of relief falls into his ocean of terror.

He tries to take a deep breath. "Okay, okay, ok- um- what hospital are they taking her to?"

She rattled off a name that he immediately committed to memory, trying to mentally figure out a route there before she'd even finished.

"I'll meet you there," she said. "Robin?"

"Yeah?"

"It'll be alright," she promised.

He wished that her words meant something to him. That they were as capable of filling him with as much peace and reassurance as she'd hoped they would, but they weren't. Right at that moment, the school doors opened and a few kids came out, Henry included. The sight of him, made Robin's throat grow tighter.

"I'll see you at the hospital," he said, hanging up.

Glancing out the window, he saw Henry walking toward the car, his backpack slung over his shoulder. He turned, sending his gaze toward the windshield and putting both his hands back on the steering wheel.

He had approximately 16 seconds to swallow his panic and put on a brave face, so he can somehow tell his 11-year-old son that his mother was in the hospital without making seem as scary as it actually was.

The car door opened and his gut began to swirl. Swallowing hard, he turned to Henry, who smiled at him as he threw his backpack in the backseat.

"Hi, Robin! Thanks for picking me up."

"Sure, anytime," he softly mumbled, still working on the swirl of emotions threatening to spill from him.

Henry looked up at him with pleading eyes. "Hey I know you promised Roland that we'd get Hawaiian pizza tonight but can we please get pepperoni instead? Hawaiian is so gross."

Robin's heart cracked at his last ditch effort to change dinner plans. Right now, Henry's biggest worry was what pizza toppings he'd have for dinner. The last thing Robin wanted to do was cancel it out with a question like "Is my mother okay?" That's not a question a kid should ever have to ask.

Reaching over to rest his hand on Henry's shoulder, Robin tried to clear his throat. "Listen, Henry, there's something I have to tell you."

Henry had always been a perceptive kid, picking up on things that other boys his age might've overlooked. So Robin had no doubt he knew what was coming next wasn't good. The moment he spoke he could see Henry's shoulders slump and concern flood his hazel eyes.

In a small voice, he asked, "Tell me what?"

 ** _xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

Adults don't like to tell the truth.

Henry can't exactly remember when he figured that out but it was true. They never wanted to tell you when things were scary or sad, or that they might not be okay. Adults always hid things like that, locking it behind phrases like "you'll understand when you get older" or "it's just grown up stuff." None of the adults in his life liked to tell him things...but that doesn't mean he doesn't know stuff.

He knows Robin is scared.

He didn't say that he was, but Henry could just kind of see it in his face. When they drove to hospital he didn't say a lot; he just kept his lips pressed together and his eyebrows pinched. It reminded him of how his mom used to look when she came to visit him at his grandma's house. Before they'd left, Robin had told him that everything would be alright, but he wasn't sure that he believed him right now.

He was really worried about his mom.

He was trying not to be, but it was hard. Robin said that she'd hit her head and gone to the hospital. The thought of it made his stomach ache. He'd never been to the hospital before. He'd never been hurt enough to go to one, neither had his mother. If she had to be taken there then she had to be really hurt.

He shouldn't have stayed behind for the newspaper club. It wasn't even really a newspaper. It was just a one-sided piece of paper that the school handed out once a month. There wasn't even anything important on it. It was stupid. He should've just gone home. If he'd gone home then he would've been there when Roland found his mom and he could've helped and maybe she wouldn't have needed to go to the hospital.

When he went to school on Monday, he was quitting.

When they got to the hospital, the car had barely shut off before Robin was speed walking him through the double doors. He didn't get a chance to look around much but he quickly decided that he didn't like it there. Being in the hospital felt weird and heavy. There were all these people around - most of them sick and hurt, some crying - and there was so much noise and a weird smell. Being in the hospital made him feel like something very bad was about to happen.

Robin asked the woman at the desk where his mom was and they hopped into the elevator to go see her on the third floor. Before they left a nurse pushing an old man in a wheelchair walked inside with them. As the elevator rose Henry tried hard not to stare at him. He wondered if his mom would need a wheelchair after the accident. Or crutches. Or something else.

She wasn't dying. She couldn't die. She was pregnant and a mom. Pregnant moms don't die. They can't. Right?

When the elevators opened they walked straight to the third floor waiting and found Roland and Aunt Mulan waiting for them. The second Roland saw his father he cried out, running into his arms. Henry noticed a limp as he ran, and his heart thudded when Robin lifted him into his arms and he caught sight of a bandage on his brother's right knee.

"What happened to your leg?" he asked.

Startled by his question, Robin reached for his son's knee, his eyes widening when he saw the bandage wrapped around it.

"I fell down the stairs and hurt my leg," cried Roland, tears sparkling in his eyes.

"It's just a scratch," Mulan assured them. "It'll heal up in a few days, they promised."

Despite what she said, the sight of Roland's knee made Henry nauseous. Now both his mom and Roland had gotten hurt, all because he wasn't there. He should've been there.

Robin kissed Roland on the forehead, before asking, "Where's Regina?"

"The doctor is with her now," she said. "Said they'd be back soon."

His head bobbed up and down, acceptingly. "Okay then… I guess we'll just wait."

The four of them sat down in the waiting room chairs. Henry squirmed against the plastic seat, unable to get comfortable. He decided that after today he never wanted to go to the hospital again. The hospital sucked.

A few minutes later a doctor walked by and asked to talk to Robin.

 ** _xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

She'd just wanted to take a bath.

Carrying the babies was hell on her back and she'd thought an epsom soak would help with the pain. She remembered turning on the faucet then… nothing.

The minute she opened her eyes, pain riddled through her skull. A soft groan escaped her as she squinted against the harsh sting of fluorescent lights. A soft, steady beeping thudded in her ears as she tried to move her head. Her heart started to speed up in panic. It hurt. Her head really hurt, and this was not her home, she knew that.

"Don't move."

She heard Robin's gentle voice two seconds before he appeared above her face. It was her husband, she'd recognize those blue eyes anywhere but he looked… strange. Like he was vibrating. She tried focus on him, but he kept moving. All the effort led her to whimper in pain, scrunching her eyes closed.

"It's okay." Robin held her hand in his. "You're alright."

"Where am I?" Her voice comes out small and gravely. God, she could really use some water.

"You're in the hospital," he said, reaching out to stroke her head. "You were at home by yourself and you fell."

She sucks in a deep breath, frightened. Memories start to come back then. She remembers being in the bathroom, slipping and hitting her head on the counter. Automatically, her hand goes to her stomach, panic spiking in her gut when she feels wires there. Her voice breaks when she asks, "The babies?"

"They're both fine, strong heartbeats," he immediately assures. "But the doctors think that you might have a concussion."

"Well that explains why there are two of you." She lets out a breath, relieved that her babies are okay.

Wincing, she raises her hand to her forehead. There's a bandage, she can feel it. For some reason, she decides to press against it, hissing when she feels a sharp pain.

"How do you feel?" asks Robin, worry still dancing in his eyes.

"My head hurts," she whispers. "So does my pride."

The first hints of a smile appear on his face as he kisses her hand. "Don't worry, the doctor will be in soon. He'll check you out make sure you remember your own name and who the president is."

"Something I've never wanted to forget more," she grumbled. She still felt foggy but things were getting clearer the longer she stayed away. "I can't believe I slipped on the bathroom floor like a senior citizen."

"So this wouldn't be a good time to suggest a life alert button," he replied.

He was trying to lighten the mood, she knew that and saw right through it. Worry lines were still between his eyebrows, his lips were pressed together like he was holding back of flood of emotion. "Robin…"

"I'm sorry." His voice broke as he bowed his head. "I just… getting the call, again… it just…"

"Reminded you of Marian," she finished, knowingly. Of course it had. For months after Marian died, she'd watched him hesitate to even pick up a phone.

" _ **I got scared**_ ," he said, a tear running down his cheek. " _ **I don't want to lose you too**_. Neither do the boys."

"Oh the boys," she moaned. "Do they know I'm here?"

Robin nodded. "I sent them home with Mulan once the doctor said you were alright. They're worried about you."

Her eyes burned at the thought of their boys waiting, wondering if she was gonna be alright. They must've been so scared, they still must be scared.

"Can I see them?" she asked.

"I will have them brought here first thing in the morning," he promised. "But right now, _**you need to rest. I'll be here**_."

"You should go home," she sighed, spikes of pain going through her skull as she shook her head. "You should be with the boys."

"Not a chance," he whispered. "My wife and children are in the hospital. Security would have to drag me from here, kicking and screaming."

She saw the resolve written across his face and knew there was no point in arguing with him. Not that she really wanted to. The thought of being alone in this hospital, worrying about herself and her babies petrified her. As much as she didn't want to admit it, she needed her husband.

As if he could read her mind, Robin takes her hand in his own again. "I'm not going anywhere."

Holding tight onto his hand, she promises, "Neither am I."

* * *

 _ **A/N: So Regina and the babies are fine! I hope you enjoyed this flashforward, please leave a review if you did!** _


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